sestertius
English
Etymology
From Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”), from sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), in which "third" refers to the third as: the sestertius was worth two full asses and half of a third.
Noun
sestertius (plural sestertii)
- (historical numismatics) A large bronze or (rarely) small silver coin minted during the Roman Republic and Empire, valued at two and a half asses (a quarter of a denarius).
- Synonym: sesterce
Translations
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Finnish
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin sēstertius (“that is two-and-a-half”).
Pronunciation
Noun
sestertius
Declension
| Inflection of sestertius (Kotus type 39/vastaus, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | sestertius | sestertiukset | |
| genitive | sestertiuksen | sestertiusten sestertiuksien | |
| partitive | sestertiusta | sestertiuksia | |
| illative | sestertiukseen | sestertiuksiin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | sestertius | sestertiukset | |
| accusative | nom. | sestertius | sestertiukset |
| gen. | sestertiuksen | ||
| genitive | sestertiuksen | sestertiusten sestertiuksien | |
| partitive | sestertiusta | sestertiuksia | |
| inessive | sestertiuksessa | sestertiuksissa | |
| elative | sestertiuksesta | sestertiuksista | |
| illative | sestertiukseen | sestertiuksiin | |
| adessive | sestertiuksella | sestertiuksilla | |
| ablative | sestertiukselta | sestertiuksilta | |
| allative | sestertiukselle | sestertiuksille | |
| essive | sestertiuksena | sestertiuksina | |
| translative | sestertiukseksi | sestertiuksiksi | |
| abessive | sestertiuksetta | sestertiuksitta | |
| instructive | — | sestertiuksin | |
| comitative | See the possessive forms below. | ||
Latin
Alternative forms
- HS (symbol)
Etymology
From sēmis (“half”) + tertius (“third”), due to its value in asses.
Pronunciation
- (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /seːsˈter.ti.us/,
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /sesˈter.t͡si.us/,
Noun
sēstertius m (genitive sēstertiī or sēstertī); second declension
- sesterce (small coin worth 2 and a half asses, later 4 asses)
- two and a half (only in certain phrases)
Usage notes
Four sesterces were equal to one denarius, and a hundred sesterces to one aureus. Although there were larger coins in the empire, many large prices were calculated in sesterces instead.
When a distributive numeral is used in front of the neuter plural sēstertia, it is read as that many thousands of sesterces. When a numeral adverb (e.g. deciens) is used in front of the genitive plural sēstertium, it is read as that many hundred thousands of sesterces.
Declension
Second-declension noun.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | sēstertius | sēstertiī |
| genitive | sēstertiī sēstertī1 |
sēstertiōrum sēstertium |
| dative | sēstertiō | sēstertiīs |
| accusative | sēstertium | sēstertiōs |
| ablative | sēstertiō | sēstertiīs |
| vocative | sēstertie | sēstertiī |
1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).
Synonyms
Descendants
- → Catalan: sesterci m
- → English: sesterce
- → French: sesterce m
- → Italian: sesterzio m
- → Portuguese: sestércio m
- → Spanish: sestercio m
Feminine variant:
- ⇒ Bulgarian: сестерция f (sestercija)
- ⇒ Dutch: sestertie f
- ⇒ German: Sesterze f
- ⇒ Polish: sestercja f
Modern borrowings:
- → English: sestertius, → sestertium
- → Esperanto: sesterco
- → Finnish: sestertius
- → German: Sesterz m
- → Japanese: セステルティウス (sesuterutiusu)
- → Romanian: sesterț n, → sesterțiu n
- → Russian: сестерций m (sestercij)
References
- “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “sestertius”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- sestertius in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- “sestertius”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
- “sestertius”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin